THE MONOLITH MONSTERS (1957)
In the 1950's, Universal sci-fi was just as ubiquitous as Universal horror. In fact, the fabled studio hammered out quite a few pictures that dealt with outer space. The Monolith Monsters submits a unique concept, and off the top of my head, I can't think of another film that grapples with this particular subject matter. Maybe The Magnetic Monster? No, that was an isotope. I guess I should fill you in. Meteorites are crashing in a parched desert bed near the small town of San Angelo. Once they shatter on impact, the landscape is flecked with black stone fragments. I know that doesn't sound very exciting, but wait until it rains. When these shards of space gravel are met with moisture, they begin to grow. WARNING: Exposure to spooky wet rocks may cause alarming side effects including lockjaw, granite hand, and ovarian magma.
I enjoyed Monolith. If I were randomly using baseball jargon (just oblige me), I'd call it a solo home run. There are a couple of impediments, however, that keep it from being a grand slam. The third act is overwhelmed with technical scientific mumbo-jumbo, and well, I wasn't too keen on learning the intricacies of hydroelectric power. Seriously, the characters will tell you everything you need to know with respect to floodgates. I'm just not sure if that leaves us with a gripping script. I mean, you could turn The Monolith Monsters into one hell of a textbook, but I'm in the business of reviewing movies. As such, it's alright. We get a forced love story, although I did like the main players.
The special effects are well-mounted. And yeah, that about covers it. Recommended to fans of irrigation.
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